Palpable | Latent 2

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sophronia

As it turned out, the school actually didn't have a backup generator. The principal and vice-principal went around to all the classrooms to tell everyone that we would just stay in this classroom instead of switching to our final class when the time came.

I didn't really mind. My last class was chemistry and I absolutely couldn't stand science classes. I did well in them, but I found it too boring, and there were a lot of calculations to do.

Dustin, somehow, was still able to see in the dark and continued sketching. He was such an amazing artist and I absolutely loved flipping through his book to see all the sketches he made. He had a gift.

I tried taking a nap, but I was never able to nap in school, no matter how tired I was. I guess I found it too weird to sleep with a bunch of people around.

I had the urge to go to the washroom, so I got up from the desk and walked to where my teacher was. I asked him if I could go to the washroom, and he said I was allowed to but I had to take someone with me.

I think people were overreacting about the snowstorm and power outage. The washroom wasn't too far from the classroom, and there were no windows in the hallway. I didn't think anything bad was going to happen.

I walked back to the desk I was sitting at. "Dustin, can you come with me to the washroom?" I asked.

"Sorry, but I'm a dude," he said. "I'm not allowed to go into the girls' washroom."

"You know that isn't what I meant," I said. "Walk me there. I can't go unless someone goes with me."

"I know," he said with a cheeky smile before resting his sketching pencil on his book. He then stood up and we left the classroom to head to the washroom.

After I finished doing my business and I was washing my hands, Brooke walked out of one of the stalls and immediately glared at me as she went to the sink furthest away from me.

I ignored her glare and looked away. I turned off the faucet and shook my hands a bit before reaching for a paper towels to grab my hand.

"You know," Brooke spoke up, turning off the faucet and grabbing a paper towel. "Dustin was a lot happier with me than he was with you."

"Keep thinking that," I said. "You really think he was happier dating someone who cheated on him for three months, as well as constantly lied to him?"

"Okay, aside from all that," Brooke said. "He barely even hangs out with my brother anymore, and they were best friends."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure they are still best friends, and the only reason they don't hang out as much is because Blake is at university and living on campus."

"Yes, and during the summer before he headed off the university, Dustin never came over to hang out with Blake," she said.

"That's probably because Blake's sister is you and he didn't want to be around you," I said. "They hung out all the time during the summer, just never at your house. Look, I don't even want to bother arguing with you right now. You're just going to ignore everything I say."

I was about to leave, but Brooke crossed her arms over her chest and stepped in my path. "I'm serious," she said. "I made Dustin really happy."